Xenosaga

The story takes place several thousand years before the events of Xenogears, and humans have abandoned earth and made new homes throughout space. A strange species, called the Gnosis, have been attacking humans at every chance, and scientists work diligently to create weapons that will aid mankind in their struggle against the Gnosis. Here enters, Shion Uzuki, a chief scientist who has been working on a top-secret project. This project is KOS-MOS, a powerful android who may be humanity’s only hope against the Gnosis. Meanwhile, the Federation has located a strange object in space…the Zohar. Things have seemed a little odd to Shion ever since the Zohar was brought aboard, but few really know what the Zohar is. Suddenly the Gnosis attack the fleet, and Shion and KOS-MOS barely escape, but the Gnosis have taken the Zohar. What is the Zohar, and what do the Gnosis want with it? And how do Shion and KOS-MOS fit into all this? This is just the beginning.

The characters and their interactions are all done very well. You’ve got a very unique array of characters inXenosaga and you’ll find them to be a likeable bunch. These characters develop well throughout the course of the game, but there’s a lot left open for future episodes in the series. This was one of the better casts of characters I’ve seen since, well…uh, Xenogears! This game does a very good job of getting the player interested in the story and characters, but unfortunately it then leaves you hanging. There’s literally a “To Be Continued” screen when you beat the game.

Not surprisingly, gameplay is very much like Xenogears. Combat revolves around the use of AP, and performing different actions uses up a certain number of AP points. Each turn you’re given 4 AP, and can use it in many different ways, or save it up to perform powerful Tech Attacks. For example, blocking takes 2 AP as does a single attack, but if you attack twice you use up 4 AP. As characters level up they’ll gain all sorts of new Tech Attacks, and through battle you gain Skill Points, Tech Points and Ether Points. Ether Points are used to learn new magic spells, Skill Points are used to learn skills (duh) and Tech Points are used to power up your Tech Attacks and can be distributed however you want to raise your character’s stats. There’s a lot to keep track of, and you can power up your characters in many different ways.

The graphics are beautiful…that pretty much sums it up. The character designs are unique and detailed, and the cutscenes are extraordinarily well done. Character movements are fluid, and even when performing complex moves in battle, characters move with convincing detail. Having to sit and watch for hours doesn’t seem so bad when what you’re watching is so pretty.

There’s plenty in Xenosaga to keep you busy. There are several mini-games, including the card game Xenocards.Xenosaga also promises 80 hours of gameplay (although, you can beat it in 30-40 with no trouble), so you can expect to get your money’s worth.